Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
VETERAN tennis player Martin Dzuwa says the return of the Harare Senior Open tournament, which gets underway today, is a welcome development.
Dzuwa, who recently took part in the Zambia Open, is set to feature in the Select Healthcare Harare Seniors Tennis tournament starting this morning at Harare Sports Club.

The three-day competition is expected to attract players from various provinces and Dzuwa said he was looking forward to the tournament.
“Firstly, this tournament has not been there for two years and now it’s back. I will be one of the players in the tournament,” said Dzuwa.

“I think I will do better. I am just coming back from Zambia and I lost in the finals, so in terms of match practice I think I am okay.
“At the moment if we are to develop talent, the players who should dominate are those between the age of 19 and 21, if I get to the quarter-finals or semi-finals then it means there is something wrong with our tennis.

“Of course, I will be happy to get to the final but as a coach I will feel we are not doing enough.
“We need to have tournaments like these ones more often, like if we can have the Bulawayo Open, Gweru Open, Masvingo Open and so on, it will keep the players active.”

The veteran player said he understands that a lack of resources has been affecting the local game but feels the administrators should double their efforts to bring in sponsors.

“Sometimes it’s not about the money but getting the game going.
“We can have tournaments regularly, that little bit (prize money), people will appreciate and from there it will grow bigger, sponsors will come in,” said Dzuwa.

Harare Metropolitan Tennis Board chairman, Nesbit Chirewa, said they could not hold the tournament last year because they had no money to fund the tourney.

“We hope that if our sponsors are happy with how we hold this one, they will be willing to take us on board for a couple of years,” said Chirewa.

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